Where Loyalty Truly Lies
by starlet0495
Summary: Tiana and Naveen's daughter, Evangeline, is something special. So much so, that even the late Dr. Facilier's "friends from the other side" are watching her. Why is that? Read and find out. Criticisms are welcome! Warning: Tiana and Naveen could be considered OOC, but this will be fixed.
1. Prologue

_**A/N: I did not have a beta-reader, so if you see any spots with bad grammar, I'm sorry. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: Disney owns all Princess and the Frog characters. I only own my OCs. **_

Where Loyalty Truly Lies- Prologue

A newly married Tiana was in the bathroom throwing up her breakfast for the fifth time this week. She moaned, leaning her head on the toilet bowl after she was done.

"I don't understand. I shouldn't have food poisoning, and Naveen and I haven't…" she cut off her sentence, thinking back.

"Oh no!" she stood up quickly, and her knees buckled causing her to fall back on her butt. She drew her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and began to rock back and forth.

"This can't happen now! I'm nineteen years old, for goodness' sakes! Naveen and I are in the process of getting our restaurant. Having a baby will only slow us down! And then…" Tiana stopped whispering to herself as she thought of the conditions of the baby's conception. _**(A/N: I know this is not how frogs mate, but in order for the story to make sense, it had to be human mating instead of a frog's.) **_

The most devastating thought hit her like a speeding train. "This baby…For all I know…could not be human." she spoke aloud to herself.

"I can't believe Naveen and I were so stupid not to wait until we were human. Although considering that we thought we weren't going to be humans again, I can't really validate that argument." Tiana put on a look of sheer determination on her face.

"For the next few months, I am going to try to keep this a secret from everyone." Tiana then nodded quickly as if it was a done deal.

An abrupt knocking came from the door.

"Tiana, are you okay in there?" Naveen asked, sounding concerned.

Tiana stood quickly, this time holding the sick to keep her balance.

"Yes. Don't worry, I'm fine." she yelled. Before she flushed the toilet, she looked at contents that were in her stomach, and put a hand to her belly.

'_It might be hard, but it's something I had to do._' she thought.

She left the bathroom, and told Naveen that it was something that she ate.

\/+-+\/

9 months later

Tiana and Naveen sat in the hospital room, marveling over their new baby girl.

Although they were wary, visitors flowed in and out of the room all day to see the new princess of Maldonia.

Some were known, while others were not.

The only people who stayed almost the whole day were Charlotte and Eudora who seemed to be the most fascinated with her. The king, queen, and Ralphie had not come over, but they promised that they would see her soon.

There were also some visitors who had put up a fight to see the new baby.

Louis, being an alligator, was turned away also immediately at the door. Somehow he had found a way into the room, and was able to hide until more visitors came. When the visitors had caught sight of him, the doctors had brought guns to turn him away.

Another visitor who had come was Mama Odie. She had thought of Naveen and Tiana as her unofficial grandchildren as she had helped them with a dilemma and became attached to them.

Mama Odie, however, wasn't the problem.

It was Juju, and the other animals from the bayou that had befriended them. They had caused such a ruckus that the doctors officially gave up trying to prevent animals from coming into the hospital to visit. "Only for today." they kept telling themselves every time they had seen an animal from coming in.

When everyone else left, and it was just Mama Odie, Naveen and Tiana began to tell about the conception.

"Mama Odie, we have something to tell you about our daughter. It's kind of important." Tiana said.

"What is it Miss Froggy?" Mama Odie asked.

"Well, when she was conceived, we were frogs. We turned human the day after. I—well, we—were wondering if there is any way she could be umm—" Tiana cut off, looking to Naveen for help.

"Frog-like?" Naveen filled in, and gripped Tiana's shoulders hard.

"Hmm. Voodoo magic is strong and vast. If she did come out a frog, I wouldn't be surprised. Though, it is very weird. She was supposed to be a frog. I suppose when your DNA changed, hers did as well. Does she look like a frog?" Mama Odie asked.

"No, but…" Tiana looked worried.

"Well then that's okay! If anything out of the ordinary happens, don't hesitate to visit us out in the bayou." Mama Odie left and took her entourage of animals with her.

\/+-+\/

The rest of the day passed without incident.

As nighttime hit, Tiana and Naveen took their baby over to the window to see the night sky. The stars and moon were all beautiful, and lit up the black night. However, the moon, and most of the stars were no match for the beauty of the two brightest stars in the sky.

Naveen pointed to them.

"Look," he said to his daughter. "Those two stars are called Ray and Evangeline. They are very special stars."

"That's right. Ray and Evangeline were the ones who brought Mommy and Daddy together as a couple." Tiana said.

Aside to Naveen she said, "Dr. Facilier could also get credit for bringing us together too, you know."

Naveen grimaced. He then continued to tell the story about Ray and Evangeline.

A content silence fell as the three looked at the stars.

"You know, she still needs a name." Tiana said, looking to Naveen. "I know this is cliché, but how about Evangeline? It's a beautiful name, and she is an important person in our history together."

"Evangeline." he said, turning the name around in his head. Finally, he smiled. "It's perfect."

He then gave Tiana and his new daughter a kiss on the forehead.

"This is really shaping out to be the perfect life."

Tiana nodded her agreement, and the three of them went to sleep.

\/+-+\/

3 months later

Evangeline was screeching, and Tiana was at her wit's end.

"Naveen! Can you please see what she wants!" she yelled. She was so close to finishing up the menu for Tiana's Place. Afterwards, she needed to go see how much construction was needed to finish the restaurant.

"Ahh! Tiana!" Naveen yelled.

Tiana jumped up so fast that she knocked her chair over, and ran to where Naveen and Evangeline were in another room.

Naveen pointed with a shaking hand to the luxurious crib that Charlotte had bought them. Tiana looked in the crib and put her hand to her mouth to stifle a scream.

There in the crib was a tiny green frog crying for all it was worth. Tiana and Naveen stood there in a shocked silence, while their frog daughter was screaming.

After a moment, Naveen gained control of his limbs and got a pacifier. After putting it in the frog's mouth, a green light surrounded the frog and subsided to reveal a naked human baby girl.

Tiana's eyes filled with tears, and she slid to the floor, crying. Naveen joined his wife on the floor, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her temple to comfort her.

"We have to talk to Mama Odie." he said.

Tiana looked up at him with a tear-streaked face and nodded.

\/+-+\/

_**A/N: This is only the prologue, so Evangeline won't be a teenager until the next chapter. This story will be a little different from the other Princess and the Frog fanfictions because I plan on it being a little dark. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the prologue, and please review!**_


	2. Chapter 1: Confrontation

_**A/N: Hello everybody! Starlet 0495 here with the next chapter of Where Loyalty Truly Lies. I would like to give a special thanks my reviewers: Chipmunks Are My THANG, omega1979, starrscar19 & chloemcg. You guys are so awesome for reviewing. I would also like to thank starrscar19, chloemcg, and Silver Moonlight Blossom for putting my story on their favorite stories and alert lists. You guys hold this story in such high esteem and I appreciate it. Lastly, I would like to thank all of the readers. You guys really make my day. Also, to warn you, Tiana and Naveen maybe OOC, but don't worry, they'll be back in character by the end of the story. Okay, that's enough of this. On with the story!**_

_**Disclaimer: Disney owns all Princess and the Frog characters. **_

Where Loyalty Truly Lies- Chapter 1: Confrontation

14 years later

A huge, festive building called Tiana's Palace sat on the side of the river. This building was once the crown jewel of New Orleans.

Now, in the summer of 1941, it was nothing but a run-down restaurant.

The Great Depression blew through and torn the business apart. For the past ten years, Tiana's Palace had seen nothing but okay, bad, and horrible days. There were never any perfect days anymore.

Sure there were still people coming, but it wasn't nearly enough to be called the "crown jewel of New Orleans" anymore. In an attempt to bring in more profit, Tiana had to raise the prices of the food. This brought in even less people, so the prices were returned to normal.

Outside the restaurant sat a light-skinned, teenage girl by the name of Evangeline. With her amber eyes trained towards the water, she sat thinking about why couldn't be normal, just like every other night.

Of course, being able to talk to animals was cool, but she had to make sure not to do it in front of people. Although, turning into a frog each and every time she got too emotional was too much. Every time she got too happy, sad, excited, or angry, the color green would cloud her vision and then she would shrink.

Mama Odie had been teaching her voodoo magic almost all of her life and tried to help her control her transformations to no avail. Because of this, she could really never have any friends or anything more.

Oh god, how she wanted something more.

Seeing how Charlotte's 12-year old daughter, Sarah, had many suitors made Evangeline wish she had a guy stepping out of their way to get her affections. Evangeline had more of a position of power than Sarah did since she was a living, breathing princess, but the position did nothing if she could not even talk to a guy.

She sighed and looked up to the pinkish-purple sky.

She saw the two special stars Ray and Evangeline, and laughed under her breath. If she could not turn into a frog herself, she would not even believe her parents' outlandish story about how they got together.

Out the corner of her eye, she saw the lights of her parents' restaurant come on. She turned and looked at the neon letters. 'Tiaa's Palce' it read.

She rolled her eyes. As a young kid, she loved this place. The people, the food, and the whole energy of place really had her going. After enough of it, her dad would put her in a room until she calmed down. Tears filled her eyes. She felt like such a monster back then. After the rave of the restaurant subsided, she could finally be in the restaurant the whole night without an incident.

Then she heard singing coming from inside, and sharply turned back towards the river. Her mother had the most beautiful singing voice, and Evangeline hated it. Back when she was younger, her mother had never really sung to her. In fact, she stayed away from her as much as possible. Evangeline was sure her mother didn't hate her; it was just that she was afraid, and maybe a little disgusted. Her father was a little more open to her, but there was always a wall up on both sides when they spoke.

"Hey Angie!" Evangeline genuinely smiled as she heard the immature voice of a boy.

"Willy!" she turned, held out her arms, and Willy jumped into them. Willy was a bobcat kitten that she had found in the bayou a few months ago. So far, he had proved to be her best friend.

"So whatcha thinkin' about?"

Evangeline smirked. "You have to ask?"

"No, I guess not. You know, you're cool just the way you are. You don't have to change for anyone."

"As much as I'd like to believe you, I know there a couple of people who'd like me change." She threw a pointed glare over her shoulder at the restaurant.

Willy shifted in her lap until he stood on his hind legs and used his front paws to keep his balance on the front of her dress. His dark brown eyes bore into her amber ones.

"You matter to them no matter what you can do. Your mom and dad really do care about you. You're lucky to have parents." She sat thinking about what Willy had said until the street lights came on.

She sighed. With tears running down her cheeks she said, "I really wish I could believe that."

Willy went up to lick the tears that had fallen, "It's not hard to believe it. I promise you, you'll see."

"Evangeline, come on inside. You know the night isn't safe." Tiana yelled out of the door, while putting a bowl of meat on the ground for Willy.

Evangeline scoffed.

"Why? Because of some stupid shadows? I think I can handle myself a bit better than you can!" she said in an insulting tone.

"I do not have to explain myself to you. Just do what I say. Naveen and I are just trying to keep you safe!" Tiana nearly yelled.

"How? Locking me in a room and leaving me there by myself? Never being there for me and never acting like real parents? It's not my fault that I'm like this!" Evangeline screamed at the top of her lungs, and a green light embodied her and then disappeared to reveal a frog.

Evangeline stared up at her mom's face one last time before hopping off into a dark alley. Willy discarded his meat and ran after his friend.

\/+-+\/

Tiana didn't bother to stop her, and watched her leave.

She sighed. She knew she raised the boys differently, but they didn't have the problem that Evangeline had.

Even if she and Naveen didn't shower her with unconditional love growing up, they made sure to teach her three very important lessons: hard work always pays off, never take anything for granted, and keep eyes open for what you need and not what you want.

Naveen and Tiana had a strong feeling that she would need these lessons more than Ray and James_**(A/N: their sons)**_ would.

She turned her head sharply to where she thought she saw a shadow move.

\/+-+\/

A dark blot moved inconspicuously from large shadows to larger shadows until it got to its destination. It stopped In the middle of a dark room.

"Masters, I summon you." _**(A/N: I know how the shadows communicate, but I want to show their interactions, so I'm writing it in English.) **_A huge, brightly colored mask appeared in the middle of the room, with smaller, but equally colorful masks, following suit.

The biggest mask spoke, "What is it, minion?"

"I think we've found what we're looking for." The masks looked shocked, and the smaller masks began speaking to one another.

"Are you sure? We can't afford to make any more mistakes." the biggest one spoke once again.

"Yes, I'm positive."

The masks looked as if they were smiling.

"Then it's time. Get the boy. Do whatever it takes to get him on our side. He is the key to everything going perfectly." the biggest mask said. The shadows then started cheering.

After the short celebration was done, two shadows left to collect their "key."

\/+-+\/

_**A/N: So how did you guys like it? I'm sorry it took so long. I actually finished this chapter a week ago but I didn't really like it so I added a lot more to it. I was very distracted, but my reviews kept my attention on the story long enough to finish this chapter. If I get more reviews, I will finish the next chapter even quicker. Speaking of which, Evangeline's love interest and the other main character to this story is going to be introduced in the next chapter. If you want to see more, please review!**_


	3. Chapter 2: Confusion

_**A/N: Happy U.S. Independence Day! I would like to thank my reviewers: starrscar19, scarletanna, TPATFan16, chloemcg, and Chipmunks Are My Thang. I would also like to thank my readers. I honestly hate this chapter, it was very hard to write, but I hope you guys enjoy it. If not, that's fine too.**_

_**Questions & Comments**__**:**_

_**Chipmunks Are My Thang**__**: No. Mama Odie tried, but it can't be done (at least in my story). Since she was born with it and it's not a spell, it can't be fixed by voodoo magic. And no, Ray and James aren't affected by the same thing. They were conceived when Tiana and Naveen were human, so it wasn't a problem.**_

_**chloemcg**__**: You're right, it is the second. But I'll get into that later. **_

_**TPATFan16:**__** Don't worry. Their relationship isn't going to be like that for much longer.**_

_**Disclaimer: Disney owns all Princess and the Frog characters. **_

V+-+V

Where Loyalty Truly Lies- Chapter 2: Confusion

As the sun was setting, Mae gathered up her working materials and headed home.

Mae was a hard-working woman who thought of nothing but her 16 year-old son, Samuel, and how to provide for him. Since the day she found out she was pregnant, she had done everything in her power to protect her baby from unwanted attention.

His father was never in the picture. He was an evil man, and she was glad that he was never in her son's life.

However, she couldn't help but feel grateful to him for giving her something so pure and innocent.

"Mae!"

Mae turned and saw it was her good friend Nellie shouting through her open window.

"Sam's gotten into trouble again." Nellie yelled.

Well, almost innocent.

"What did he do this time?" Mae asked, although she already knew.

"Pick-pocketing. He almost succeeded this time."

Mae sighed.

Lately, Mae could see that Sam's knack for troublemaking expanding. It wasn't just pick-pocketing; he did all kinds of things. That was what worried her. She refused to let Sam be any more like his father, or like her past self for that matter.

She gotten to her poorly built house a little while later and started on dinner. About 30 minutes later, she heard the door shut with quiet precision.

"I don't know where you think you're going." She heard a loud sigh, and turned to see Samuel walking towards her.

"Sammy, I don't why you keep doing this. This is the sixth time this month. Mark my words, someone isn't going to care that you're only a teenager, and you'll end up dead."

"Mom, don't worry. I'm sure Nellie told you, I barely got caught. I swear to you, next time, I'm not going to get caught."

"That's not the point! Pick-pocketing is wrong. If you really want money, get a job. You see paper boys a lot younger than you. They're getting money the right way, and they don't have the possibility of dying."

She sighed before continuing. "I just don't want to see my pride and joy in a bad situation. It breaks my heart that you keep going behind my back to do the very same thing we talk about you not doing."

"Mom, I'm not going to die. I don't know where you get this from."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"Not today." She cupped her son's cheek. "I love you. Don't ever forget that."

He reached up and grabbed her hand. "I love you too, Mom."

She smiled. "Good. Now get washed up for dinner."

V+-+V

"'You wouldn't understand.' What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked himself as he washed his hands.

Lately, he had noticed his mom becoming more anxious every day. But she didn't want to tell him why.

Not only that, but his mom seemed unwilling to share anything about her past with him.

Sometimes when he would ask, he could visibly see her warring with herself, so it was good to know that some of her defenses were tearing down. If he kept asking, he would know a little by next week.

He smiled at the thought, but a frown came to settle on his face when he thought about the previous discussion.

It's not that he wanted money for himself. His mom pushed herself way to hard when it came to work. He just wanted a little extra money for her, so she wouldn't have to work as hard.

Sure, he could easily find a job, but pick-pocketing was just way too much fun. He had been doing this for years, and he was just now starting to get better targets.

Today, for instance, one of the owners of that restaurant, Tiana's Palace. The man, Naveen, was a prince and he had a lot of money to spare.

To be honest, Sam had been watching this guy for a while now, and today he seemed distracted.

What better time to strike than that?

However, Sam had been careless and got caught. He probably would have to give up on the prince, but there were better targets, like the La Bouffs and the Breauxs _**(A/N: Charlotte's in-laws)**_.

He smiled.

"Tomorrow." he said. "Tomorrow, I'll do it."

With that, he decided to ignore his mother's advice once again.

V+-+V

The next day Mae had finished her work early and went to Nellie's house.

"I guess it's time." Mae said to Nellie.

"You should have done this years ago. It's only natural for a child to want to know about his parents."

Mae thought about the conversation she had with her son last night.

"I suppose you're right. I mean the more he knows, the less likely he is to repeat the same mistakes." Mae said.

Nellie nodded.

"I agree. However, are you sure that he won't get into this? I mean, you did."

"Regardless, he can't get into what his father, you, and I have. Look where it got us. Without these necklaces, we fear for our lives."

Mae and Nellie instinctively grabbed at their necklaces.

Mae took hers off and studied it. She had no doubt that the necklaces had protected them for all these years. _*******_

"If you see him, can you give it to him?" Mae put her necklace in Nellie's hands.

"Mae, you can't be serious. You'll die."

"Yes, but it's either him or me, and you know that I would gladly give my life for my son's."

The two women tearily embraced and Mae went home.

V+-+V

"I actually did it!" Sam yelled while running home.

The infamous Mr. Eli La Bouff didn't know hit him.

Passing by Nellie's house, he had heard his name.

"Nellie, I finally-" Sam cut off his sentence when he seen Nellie's eyes, which were red from crying. "What's wrong?"

"Family stuff." Nellie said dismissively. "But listen, Mae wanted me to give this to you."

Sam looked at the necklace in his hands.

"Okay, why couldn't she give it to me herself? Where is she?"

Before Nellie could answer, Sam heard an earth-shattering sound in the direction of his house. Both Nellie and Sam looked and saw multi-colored lights above where Mae and Sam lived.

They both ran to the site. The house looked as if nothing had happened but Nellie knew better.

"Don't go in there Sam, Mae's gone."

"What are you talking about? Nothing happened."

"Mae's _dead_, Samuel. I wouldn't lie to you about this. Come with me, I'll explain everything."

With raised awareness, she grabbed Sam's arm.

"Come on, we're not safe here."

Sam didn't resist as Nellie pulled him to her house, but he couldn't stop looking in the direction of his own. Now, he was deathly confused.

Nellie shut the door and locked it tight when they got to her house. She also looked out of the window before shutting the curtains.

Nellie turned to see Sam staring at the talisman of his mother's necklace.

"There used to be three of us, you know." Nellie said to Sam, gesturing to the necklace.

"I know I should tell you, but for now it might be safer if you were kept in the dark. I can tell you this though: Beware the shadows. Keep the necklace with you at all times; it'll keep you safe. Um, you can stay here for as long as you need to." she patted his shoulder.

"Good night Samuel and I'm sorry. She loved you, she always will."

Nellie left him alone in the living room.

V+-+V

Sam went for a walk, still confused.

His mom was…dead? Beware the shadows? The necklace will keep me safe? What did this mean?

He had no idea that things would go from so right to so wrong in a matter of hours.

He took the money out of his pocket, and threw it into the street; all of it was useless now.

He felt sick. He couldn't believe that his mom, his greatest supporter, was gone. He had no one now.

With that last thought, the tears came. It took all the willpower he had to stop crying. His mom wouldn't want him to be sad.

He continued walking, and stumbled across something unbelievable.

V+-+V

A huge mask appeared in the center of a dark room. Smaller masks and shadows followed suit.

"Another is dead. There is only one more. When the last dies and the sacrifice is made, we will finally be able to take control. We're almost there."

With that, everything disappeared and the room was cast into darkness once again.

V+-+V

_**A/N: I hate writer's block. I really don't know why this chapter was so hard to write. I understand if you guys don't want to review. Hopefully, this will be the worst chapter of the story. I'll put up the next chapter of the story whether I get reviews or not, but reviews would be appreciated. **_

_*****-The necklace's talisman is the Saturn Seal of Protection. It **__**protect**__**s against hexing, curses, bad fortune and black magic.**_


	4. Chapter 3: The Meeting

_**A/N: I know this chapter is a lot shorter than my others, but I thought the last sentence was a good way to end the chapter. Thanks to all my readers, followers, and reviewers. You guys are awesome.**_

_**Questions & Comments:**_

_**chloemcg: Ha ha, yeah. It's always painfully obvious in Disney who is going to be involved in a romance in a movie. **_

_**Disclaimer: Disney owns all Princess and the Frog characters.**_

V+-+V

Where Loyalty Truly Lies- Chapter 3: The Meeting

Sam crouched down to where he could see the object better.

It was a girl.

"'A naked girl.'" He noted with interest.

She was lying on her stomach so he couldn't see much. He took his jacket off and draped it over her.

She started to stir and began to open her eyes. She gasped when she saw Sam and started to get up, but didn't when she thought of the position she was in.

Their eyes locked.

"What do you want?" she asked him.

After a moment, he answered.

"I don't-"

He was cut off when he heard a loud growl. A small tan bobcat stood protectively in front of the girl, and gnashed his bloody teeth at Sam.

Sam smirked, amused.

The girl scratched behind the bobcat's back and whispered that it was okay. The bobcat's stance relaxed, but he still glared at Sam.

"Evangeline!"

Sam, Evangeline, and the bobcat kitten turned towards the voice.

Sam took off to hide while a man ran up to Evangeline with a dress in his hands. The man turned his back while Evangeline put on the dress.

Sam's eyes widened.

Prince Naveen of Maldonia.

"Your mother is furious." He began fussing to Evangeline in a language he didn't recognize. Naveen grabbed her wrist and began pulling her in the direction he came from. The bobcat kitten dutifully trailed after them.

After they had left, Sam went to collect his discarded jacket.

"So, the princess, huh?"

He suddenly felt like he was being watched, but turned to see nothing.

V+-+V

After being chewed out by her father in Maldonian, she had to hear the exact same lecture from her mother in English.

"You shouldn't run off at night." Evangeline imitated her father's brusque tone in his native tongue_**. (A/N: Angie can speak Maldonian and French)**_

"Your father and I were worried sick." She then imitated in her mother's soft tone.

She launched herself into her bed.

"Blah, blah, blah. Why am I the only one who can't run off at night?" Evangeline asked herself.

She thought about the story of the start of her parents' relationship.

"If the shadows really only want royal blood, Ray should be the one who is in the most danger, but he can still go off at night."

If anything were to happen to her grandfather, her father would be the king. With that reasoning, since Ray is the first son, even though is younger than her, he would inherit the throne.

She sighed.

Things would be a lot easier if her uncle, Ralphie, inherited the throne. That's probably a long shot, though. At 21, Ralphie has proved to be more like Naveen than anyone would have thought. His personality mirrors what Naveen's used to be. Due to this, he is one small thing away from being disowned.

Evangeline was on the verge of disbelief.

Ralphie was her favorite family member. He was so much fun to be around and he treated her more like a sister, and not a niece.

Evangeline could not imagine her dad being like that. She was just starting to drift off when Willy came through her open window.

"I can't believe you ran off like that."

"Not you, too."

"I know you don't want to hear it, but I don't care. That was dangerous. If I hadn't ran after you who knows what would have happened. Especially with that guy."

She laughed. "Yeah, because I'm sure anyone would have a lot of trouble dealing with a 2-pound bobcat kitten."

Willy growled. "That's not the point, and you know it."

Yeah okay, she knew what the point was. Anyone could have found her, and they could have _taken advantage_ of the situation.

There was something about the boy that was different. He had covered her up with his jacket, not without getting an eyeful, she was sure. There was something in his intense gaze that didn't make him seem like a bad enough person to do something like that. In fact, it seemed like he was deep in thought about something else.

Evangeline sharply turned away from Willy. "Fine. I'm tired. Good night."

"Whatever." Willy left using the window. He doesn't understand.

"Angie." Evangeline silently lifted her covers to let her 5 year-old brother, James, in. James had seemed to notice that she was more on edge lately and decided to sleep in her bed with her. She hadn't minded. James was always a welcome presence. At least _he_ doesn't judge her or the decisions that she makes. The big sister and little brother promptly fell asleep.

V+-+V

_**A/N: So how was it? I am so sorry that this chapter is so short. I always try to make 1,000 words my minimum, but yeah, not this chapter. I will try to make the next chapter almost 2,000 words to make up. The next chapter features Angie and all of the minor characters. Please review!**_


	5. Chapter 4: Expectations

_**A/N: Hi guys. So so sorry it took me this long. But I did it! 2,282 words! The longest chapter by far! In the author's note last time I doubted myself, and I would like to thank chloemcg and Queeny aka SSG for making me see that my efforts weren't for nothing. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. **_

_**Questions & Comments**__**: **_

_**chloemcg:**__** Thanks :D , and he's in it, but he is a very minor character.**_

_**Queeny aka SSG: Thanks a lot. :D**_

V+-+V

Where Loyalty Truly Lies- Chapter 4: Expectations

The next morning, Evangeline was preparing the restaurant for another slow day.

"Hmm, I wish my life wasn't so predictable."

There weren't many transformations anymore; probably only twice a week now. Each day of voodoo training with Mama Odie consisted of many lectures of self-control, as that was the key to controlling the transformations.

But it wasn't about self-control. It was about being depressing and somber all the time.

Other than that each day was the same: clean the restaurant, take a quick walk around the city, come back and serve customers, voodoo training with Mama Odie, clean the restaurant again, and last but not least, avoid Tiana and Naveen at all costs.

Today was special.

It was Ray's birthday and he was turning 12. The restaurant would close early today, and everyone in our extended family will come to celebrate. Granny Eudora, Louis, Charlotte LaBouff-Breaux, Mr. Breaux, Sarah, and Eli LaBouff will all come. Even Uncle Ralphie and her grandparents from Maldonia will be coming. Mama Odie and her entourage of animals however won't be able to come because all three of Evangeline's grandparents and Uncle Ralphie don't know all the details of how Tiana and Naveen got together.

In spite of this, Evangeline and Ray will have to make a trip to Mama Odie's to get his present before the festivities start.

The doors suddenly bust open then.

"Evie, I'm so excited for tonight."

Sarah LaBouff-Breaux was a twelve-year-old of short stature. She looked every bit like her mother, except her green eyes, which she inherited from her father. According to Tiana, she is a lot like her mother was at this age.

Sarah was obsessed with true love and royalty.

That being said she took a special interest in Uncle Ralphie.

She felt that if she made a good impression on him, he would introduce her to some of his royal friends. She was aspiring to marry a king, which was the sole difference of her mother, who wanted to marry a prince. She was also Evangeline's best human friend.

"Yeah, me too." Evangeline said quietly, her eyes downcast. Sarah watched her skeptically for a few minutes. She then pulled out the chair out of Evangeline's hands and put it on the floor.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing," Evangeline said as she set up the last chair.

Sarah sighed. "Look-"

Tiana walked into the room.

"Hey, Sarah. How are your mama and daddy?"

"They're doing fine and are excited for tonight."

"Great." Tiana turned to Evangeline. "Do you mind picking up your grandparents and uncle from the docks? Even though they know the way to the restaurant, they haven't seen you in months."

"Okay." Evangeline answered as Sarah looped her arm around Evangeline's.

"Come on, let's go!" Sarah said as they jogged out of the restaurant.

V+-+V

Halfway to the docks, Sarah decided to talk about something other than her aspirations.

"So are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"You have to ask?"

"What is with you the constant angst? I understand that you can't get too happy, sad, or anything, but that doesn't mean you can't smile every once and while."

Evangeline smiled with a bit of attitude.

"Hmph, that's not what I meant but thanks. You definitely need to meet a boy. That would take your mind off things."

"A boy? Yeah right." Evangeline looked down at the street as they continued walking. She heard Sarah's sharp intake of breath, and braced herself for the storm.

"You already met one?! I want to know everything! Now!" Sarah said.

"Evangeline!" An accented voice yelled.

Evangeline and Sarah turned to see Ralphie and Evangeline's grandparents muscling their way through the cameramen.

'This is not over.' Sarah mouthed to Evangeline as the Maldonians made their way to where the girls were.

"How are you?" Evangeline gave them all hugs.

While Sarah had somehow separated Ralphie from the rest of the group, Evangeline told her grandparents about how the restaurant was doing and how she and the rest of the family were doing minus the transformations and voodoo, of course.

"If the restaurant continues not to prosper, and the war eventually involves the United States, you can come live in Maldonia with us." Evangeline smiled.

They would always say that every time they visit. They even extended their offer to Eudora in hopes that Tiana would come as well.

"I don't think Mama or Daddy will readily leave the restaurant." Evangeline said.

"Well, they can at least send you kids. Maldonia is a neutral country and we intend to keep it that way, so you will be safe there." the queen said.

"But we're neutral." Evangeline argued.

"Okay well just keep your options open." the king said.

"Mm-hm." They walked into the restaurant.

"Mom, Dad, Ralphie! It's been a while! How is everything?" Naveen embraced all three and they proceeded to converse in Maldonian.

Evangeline watched her parents, grandparents, and uncle talk for a moment before Sarah came over to where she was standing.

"I'll be back tonight, and then you will tell me everything." Sarah turned on the heel of her foot and stalked out of the door.

By this time people began to filter in so everyone broke away to let Tiana and Naveen do their daily duties.

After a few hours of serving people, while she was putting dishes in the sink, someone pulled her arm so roughly it felt like it would rip off.

"Angie, can you hurry and take me to Mama Odie's? I want to see what my present is." Evangeline's obnoxious younger brother Ray said.

An easy way to describe Evangeline and Ray's relationship would be love-hate without the love. Ray was nothing but a spoiled baby, and he couldn't wait to rub it in Evangeline's face whenever he got something.

"Fine." Evangeline started walking towards the door.

Ray ran off to tell Tiana and Naveen that he was going to Mama Odie's and Evangeline walked out of the door.

V+-+V

As Evangeline and Ray walked in the humid bayou, the tension around the two siblings was suffocating. Even though Evangeline and Ray spent 12 years together, as far as they knew, they never spoke a good word about each other, and the words they said to each other would usually end in an argument.

Unfortunately, it seemed to be like today would be no different.

Evangeline needed all the support she could get but if she couldn't get it from her own family, then no one else's would matter.

The night fell rapidly, but they didn't bother to pick up the pace. All of the animals in the bayou knew and trusted Evangeline, so they wouldn't knowingly hurt her or anyone with her.

Within no time, Evangeline and Ray made it to the tree that the voodoo queen of the bayou called home.

"Mama Odie! I'm here with Ray!"

"Hey Lil' Froggie." Evangeline bristled at the "term of endearment". It wasn't that she hated it, it was just that it reminded her of the situation she so desperately to forget.

"Alright, Tadpole #1," Ray frowned at his name while Evangeline stifled her laughter, "Here is yo' birthday present."

Mama Odie held out a branch from a tree. Ray raised an eyebrow at the present.

"What does it do?" Ray asked.

"Whatever you want it to. Why don't you go try it out?" Mama Odie said.

Ray tentatively took the stick and went outside.

Evangeline started laughing. "You know he'll back any minute demanding why it doesn't work."

It was funny. Mama Odie didn't try to hide the fact that she liked Evangeline and James more than she liked Ray, and Ray was so dim he didn't even notice. She would be more open towards Ray if he wasn't so "close-minded", as she called him.

"Well that was the only thing I had to give 'im. He kinda reminds of this student I had one time, except less dangerous."

"A past student? I thought I was your first."

Mama Odie chuckled. "Oh no, dear girl. I did have a life before you."

Evangeline looked down. "I didn't mean it like that."

Mama Odie got off of the chair and called to Juju. " 'Course you didn't. Juju, will you get _his_ necklace?" The seeing-eye snake slithered off to another part of the tree, only to come back a moment later with something in his mouth. Mama Odie held the necklace tight in her hands a moment before speaking.

"You know I usually don't take male students. Not anymore."

"Why?"

"Well it started 25 years ago. I found two girls outside, and they looked to be lost. I let them inside, and they liked what they saw so they wanted to learn voodoo. I told them that it was dangerous, but they didn't care. Over the years, they became really good at it, and I was proud. One day, though, a boy found my tree. He said that he heard of me and he wanted to learn voodoo as well. I was happy to take another student but I was wary. The boy was so different than the girls, but he learned voodoo just as fast. For a time everything was fine. But then the girls grew up. In order to protect them I gave them each a necklace like this."

Mama Odie put the necklace in Evangeline's hands, and then continued her story.

"One of the girls, Mae, started to have feelings for the boy. They began to date and I noticed changes in Mae's and the boy's behavior. Some days only the other girl, Nellie, would come to training. Nellie would tell me all kinds of things about Mae and the boy. Eventually I found out that Mae and the boy were practicing black magic."

Evangeline gasped.

Mama Odie nodded and continued. "You can only imagine how furious I was. As soon as Mae and the boy came to training the next day, I confronted them. The boy readily admitted it and told me that black magic was way more fulfilling than my methods, and left. But not before throwing the necklace at me. Unfortunately, Mae thought it would be better to support him, so she left as well, and Nellie left with her best friend. Mae and Nellie were smart though and kept the necklaces. As soon as all three left, I felt so empty for some reason. I viewed them as my children, and I thought they would see me as a mother figure. But they must have had no place in their heart for me, because they wouldn't abandon someone they cared for like that. I have no doubt in my mind that the boy is dead, and I want to say that I'm glad, but I'm not. He didn't deserve to die like that." Mama Odie broke off and started to cry.

Evangeline leaned forward to hug her and she realized just how frail she was.

The 211-year-old woman put on a front like she was strong, but deep down she was sad.

'How could she be happy when she's seen the death of so many people that she's cared about?' Evangeline thought.

Mama Odie quickly composed herself, like she just realized what she was doing.

"It's okay, Mama Odie. It's okay to be sad, and it's okay to cry." Evangeline gestured around the tree to the animals she just noticed were there. "We won't judge you."

"It's okay, but not appropriate. Not now." Mama Odie tightened her hands around Evangeline's.

"Keep this necklace. I refuse to see another one of my 'children' dead."

Evangeline nodded. "Okay."

"Hey! This stupid stick doesn't even work. I'm telling Mama and Daddy you gave me a regular stick for _my_ day. Come on Evangeline. I want to go home. _Now_."

"_Okay._ Bye, Mama Odie. See you tomorrow. And don't worry, I won't let you down."

"I have no doubts in my mind that you will. Good luck, Lil' Froggie. Happy birthday, Tadpole #1."

V+-+V

Back at the restaurant, almost everyone was having a good time. Evangeline stood outside the restaurant like she did every night, just thinking.

She couldn't get what happened with Mama Odie out of her mind. She couldn't believe that people could turn their back on someone as nice as her.

She looked at the necklace. There was no way that she would ever do something like that to Mama Odie.

Evangeline hated to consider it, but she felt that Mama Odie was more of a parent to her than Tiana and Naveen put together. Whenever Evangeline did something wrong, she didn't get reprimanded for it like with Tiana and Naveen. Mama Odie understood that she learned her lesson, and after the promise to never do it again, Mama Odie never brought it up again.

Evangeline wondered about Mae and Nellie, Mama Odie's past students. Were they even still alive? She wondered if she could find them and tell them about Mama Odie's regrets.

"Evie, you still need to tell me about this mystery guy." Sarah walked out of the restaurant to stand next to her.

"Yeah, but there's not much to tell. I don't even know his name."

"Okay, just start with how you met him."

"Evangeline."

Evangeline and Sarah turned at the quiet, almost foreign voice.

But only almost.

It was the boy from last night. He probably heard her name last night when Naveen shouted it.

"Um, who are you?" Sarah asked snootily, and when he didn't answer she turned to Evangeline. "This is the guy you were talking about?"

"Sarah, not now."

Evangeline turned to the "mystery guy". "Yes?"

"I need your help."

V+-+V

_**A/N: Ooo, cliffhanger! The next chapter doesn't pick up where this one left off. But it's going to be in Sam's POV, and it'll concurrent with this chapter, so you'll still see why he needs Angie. Also the next chapter will probably be out in September. I'm starting a new story, plus school starts at the end of this month (27**__**th**__**), so my attention will be split big time. But I will try to have the next chapter before school starts. Again, no guarantees. Please review, though. :D **_


	6. Chapter 5: Compromise

_**A/N:**__** I'm baaaaack and Merry Christmas! So sorry for the long wait. Like I said on my profile, I wasn't able to update because my parents thought I was spending too much time on this and not enough on college. Thanks to them, I got accepted with scholarship to a university. At any rate, Mom and Dad should be off my case now, so I'll be free to update. **__**For this story I posted Chapters 5, 6 & 7, don't forget to read them all! **_

Where Loyalty Truly Lies- Chapter 5: Compromise

After meeting Evangeline, Sam went back to Nellie's house.

The princess. Sam could get a lot of money from her. _"But what would be the point of that? The only person I was doing that for is gone." _Still thinking about his mother, he fell asleep.

…

_Sam was shrouded by darkness. The inky black was so thick that he couldn't see anything. _

"_Samuel." _

_He turned, not exactly sure what he was looking for. _

"_Samuel, Samuel, Samuel." _

_By now multiple voices were calling out to him, all in different tones of voice. He turned in a slow circle, trying to decipher who it was. _

"_Samuel." _

_Now this voice, he recognized. _

_Sam sharply turned to where he heard the voice. He saw an outline of a woman. _

"_Mama," He said relieved. He went over to her and fell into her embrace. _

"_My darling son, I need you to help me." Mae's grip on Sam got tighter._

"_Huh? Help you with what?" Sam fidgeted, trying to loosen his mother's grip, but ultimately failed. _

_A bestial roar sounded right in his ear. _

_Sam jerked his head to look at his mother's face, only to be greeted by an African looking mask. _

_He violently shoved his "mother." She laughed wickedly and disappeared._

…

Sam woke. He looked over at the hanging wall clock. 2:00 A.M. He sighed. There was no way he was getting any more sleep tonight.

He decided to go for a walk and snuck out of Nellie's house. While walking, he couldn't help but wonder about the dream he just had.

Once he decided to go back to Nellie's, he got the weirdest sensation that someone was watching him. When he turned he saw no one, but out the corner of his eye he saw the shadow of a girl who was running away. He felt an incredible urge to follow it, but didn't know why.

Sam took one step toward it, and remembered Nellie's advice to stay away from the shadows. Pushing all thoughts and doubts out of his mind, he followed the shadow.

After a lengthy chase, he ended up in a dark room.

"Hello?" Sam called out. "Is anyone there?"

A flame appeared out of nowhere and cast an eerie light of the painted portrait of a man that Sam had never seen before. He closely studied the man. In the portrait, the man was very slender, frowning, and he had a black top hat with a skull and the crossbones up front and the purple thin feather on top.

His most striking feature was the man's lavender eyes, which oddly enough, mirrored Sam's own. "Weird."

The flame went out and just as quickly a large brightly colored mask appeared in its place. The same mask from the dream he just had. Sam slightly jumped, and backed away slowly.

"Don't be afraid. We're here to help you."

"We?" Sam asked apprehensively and scared beyond belief.

The mask paused one long moment before more brightly colored, but smaller, masks showed up. "Yes, we."

Once Sam got over his initial shock, which happened more quickly than he would have imagined possible, he began to converse with the masks. "Why would you think that I need help?"

"You may not need help, but we can give you what you want most."

"What I want most?"

"Yes." The biggest mask opened his mouth and a picture of Mae came to fruition.

"M-mama?" Sam's voice broke.

"Yes. We can bring her back."

As great as it sounded, Sam was skeptical, and the masks must have seen that because they tried to reassure him.

"We can do it, but only for something in return."

"I knew it, what?" The picture of Mae morphed into a picture of Nellie.

"The necklace that you have."

Sam gestured to his necklace. "This one?"

"Yes. She has one as well. We need you to remove it. The other thing is to bring this girl to us." The picture of Nellie morphed into a picture of a girl he met not too long ago.

"Evangeline. Why?"

"She has something that we want."

Sam raised an eyebrow.

The biggest mask growled irritably. "Just remember what's at stake."

The picture changed back to Mae. The door opened and the masks disappeared.

"I guess I have no choice. I'll get Nellie's necklace, first." Sam left and ran all the way back to Nellie's house.

When he got in, he checked the time.

"_4:00 A.M. That should be enough time to-"_ Sam's train of thought crashed when he saw Nellie sitting at the kitchen table, sipping some coffee.

"Where have you been?"

After Sam didn't answer, she sighed. "Never mind. It doesn't really matter. You do remember my warning? I can't make you, but I hope you heed it. I would hate to see you so deep in something that I have no power to get you out of."

After several seconds of awkward silence, Sam spoke. "I need your necklace. I just need to see my mama again."

Nellie mumbled something under her breath.

"Samuel, they can't-_won't_- help you. They'll use you to get what they want, and probably kill you afterwards."

She took a deep breath. "But maybe you need to find that out yourself. I mean, you truly want to see your mother again, right?"

Sam nodded.

Nellie reached up, yanked her necklace off, and quickly gave it to Sam.

"Run! You need to leave now!"

He did.

However, when Sam was not twelve feet from Nellie's house, the surrounding land was lit up by bright colors.

The same bright colors as before.

By the time Sam turned around, the house was collapsed in on itself.

It was official. He was not only orphaned once, but twice.

Sam grasped the necklace tightly. "But not anymore."

He found an alley where he could stay until morning and fell into a fitful sleep.

Waking up at what couldn't be more than 9:00 A.M.; Sam quickly made his way to Tiana's Palace and watched it silently from his well-concealed hiding spot.

Almost an hour later, Sam saw someone come out.

Evangeline.

Just as he was going to approach her, he saw someone else come out. A short blonde girl.

Sam let out a frustrated sigh. _"She has to be alone. It's easier that way. Compared to people, I'd rather approach her if she's with that cat. She has to be alone at least once today."_

With that set mentality, he continued to watch and follow her from a safe distance away.

Throughout the whole day, he kept tabs on the girl. Escorting the King, Queen, and prince of Maldonia back to the restaurant. Taking her little brother into the swamp. _"Strange."_

At night, he finally saw his opening.

"Hey, Princess."

She turned as he walked out from where he was hiding. Sam hesitated a bit when he saw the same blonde girl from this morning. _"Dammit."_

"Um, who are you?" The blonde girl asked in an obnoxiously uppity tone of voice.

Sam ignored her and waited for Evangeline to acknowledge him. The blonde girl turned to Evangeline. "This is the guy you were talking about?"

Sam couldn't lie; he did feel a little happy when he heard that. Not that he knew why.

"Sarah, not now." Evangeline said, and then turned to look at Sam. "Yes?"

"I need your help."

_**A/N: So how was it? Not bad, I hope. As a Christmas present for me, do you guys mind reviewing? I don't really care if it's only for one of the chapters; it's the best gift I can get today. **_


	7. Chapter 6: Ignorance

Where Loyalty Truly Lies- Chapter 6: Ignorance

"Help?! With what?! Evie, you better not. This guy can be a lunatic! A rapist! A serial killer!" Sarah burst out. Evangeline speared Sarah with a glare.

"That is so rude." She whispered.

Sarah looked back like she did nothing wrong. "What? It's the truth."

The girls looked back at the boy.

"Help with what?" Evangeline asked in a nicer tone of voice.

The boy looked around like someone was watching him.

"I…can't say."

Sarah snorted.

"Well, you definitely can't go now."

Obviously, Evangeline knew that she shouldn't, for lack of information. But…something about him looked so desperate. And Evangeline couldn't help it.

"Okay, I'll help you out."

Sarah's blonde head whipped around fast.

"What?! No, you're not! I'm telling your parents!" She ran back inside the restaurant.

"Quickly, you have to leave. My parents will keep an eye on me all night if they knew what was going on. I'll come see you when it calms down later tonight."

The boy nodded and left. Not one second later, Naveen came out of the restaurant with Sarah.

"Where is he?" Sarah shouted.

Naveen crossed his arms. "Yes, where is this 'creepy guy'?"

Evangeline suppressed a smile. Clearly, that was a Sarah-dub.

She decided to play the innocent card.

"There was no one here, Daddy."

Naveen looked skeptical, but shrugged and went inside, leaving behind a spluttering Sarah.

"I-I can't believe you did that! If you get into some kind of trouble, don't come crying to me." With that being said, she stormed inside.

"I wasn't planning on it." Evangeline said to herself.

She thought about her current situation. It wasn't smart, she knew that. So why? Why did she decide to help him? He just looked so desperate. That look he was giving her earlier was so intense…

"Still mad?"

Evangeline jumped.

Looking back, she saw Willy. She would talk to him, but she knew that the boy was still watching her. Instead, she held her arms out, and he ran into them.

"Guess not." Willy said, more to himself, as he made himself comfortable. After a few more minutes, Willy fell asleep.

"Evangeline, it's time to come inside," Tiana yelled over the jazz that was blaring out of the door.

Evangeline looked down at the soundly sleeping bobcat.

"I guess I can bring him inside." She picked Willy up without disturbing his sleep and walked in the door Tiana was holding open.

Sarah intentionally avoided her for the rest of the evening, until it was time for her and her parents to leave.

"Look, I didn't mean it. I want to know if you're in trouble and I want to help you. I know I can't stop you from doing what you want to do. Just _please_, be careful." The two friends embraced and Sarah left.

After the evening was winding down, Tiana's mother, Eudora, offered Ralphie, the King and Queen a place to stay, and they gratefully accepted. With the majority of the guests gone, Evangeline could finally slip out without being noticed.

"Okay," she said loud enough for the boy to hear, but quiet enough to where her parents wouldn't. He came out a second later.

"Thanks for this."

"No problem, but what, if I may ask, do you need help with?"

The boy looked physically shaken.

"I need something that only you can do."

"Excuse me?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Look, I know you're into that voodoo stuff."

Evangeline swallowed hard. "H-how?"

"I knew that there was something weird about you when I first met you last night. So I followed you and your little brother into the swamp. I'm not going to out you or anything, I just need to see-," he cut himself off for a moment, then continued, "I just need to check something."

"_Are those tears? Wow, he really is desperate."_ Evangeline thought.

"I guess there's no harm in helping people. All right, so what do you need me to do?"

"I just need to make sure you really are the one to help me, so you need to follow me."

Evangeline's eyes widened slightly. "O-oh," her gaze slid back to the restaurant. "There's no way we could do this here?"

Even before the boy shook his head, Evangeline knew the answer.

"Okay, hold on a minute." Evangeline took a necklace out of the recesses of her dress and put it on. Just before she was about to tuck it under the collar of her dress, the boy grabbed it and nearly yanked it off her neck. He pulled two necklaces identical to hers from the pocket of his jacket.

"Where did you get this?" he demanded.

"I- someone gave it to me."

His facial expression looked as if he just remembered something. He muttered something under his breath.

"Who?! Who gave it to you?!"

Suddenly, something clicked.

"You knew Mae and Nellie didn't you?"

His eyes widened comically, but Evangeline knew that whatever was happening wasn't funny. The boy backed away from her and turned his back to her.

"How do you know who they are?" It sounded like he was trying to keep his voice level.

"My voodoo teacher told me."

"Voodoo? How did your teacher know Mae and Nellie?"

"They were her old students."

"Voodoo, are you sure?"

"Yes, and if you don't mind my asking, what is your connection to Mae and Nellie?"

He laughed harshly. "You mean 'was', they're dead now. Nellie was Mae's best friend, my godmother, and Mae was my mother."

_**A/N: So how was it? Not bad, I hope. I know the ending isn't any new information because you should already know this, but because this is in Evangeline's perspective, it's a dropped bomb. As a Christmas present for me, do you guys mind reviewing? I don't really care if it's only for one of the chapters; it's the best gift I can get today. **_


	8. Chapter 7: Betrayal

_**A/N:**__** I posted Chapters 5, 6 & 7. Please don't skip 5 & 6! **_

Where Loyalty Truly Lies- Chapter 7: Betrayal

"Mae was your mama?"

"Yeah."

Evangeline thought back to the story that Mama Odie had told her earlier. She said that Mae and a boy had gotten close.

Evangeline looked at the boy in front of her. _"Could it be that he was the son of that guy?" _

"What?" The boy asked.

It was then that she realized she was staring. Blushing, she looked away.

"Nothing. It's just…did you know your daddy?"

The boy turned away.

"No, and Mama never talked about him."

"Hmm." From what Mama Odie told her, maybe it was best that he didn't know.

"Anyway, we should probably get going."

"Yeah." He turned his head. "And my name's Sam, by the way."

He started walking and she followed without once looking back at the restaurant.

With each passing step, Evangeline grew more and more uneasy.

"_What am I doing? This is crazy. I could be walking to my death." _Even with these thoughts running through Evangeline's head, it was strange. She felt like she could truly trust Sam, even though she just met him.

"We're almost there." Sam's voice broke through the silence.

"Hey," Evangeline said feeling bold.

"Hm?"

"How did Mae and Nellie die?"

A moment passed before he answered.

"I don't know."

"You don't know? Then how do you know they're dead?" As soon as she said it, she felt bad.

His head snapped around.

"I just know, okay?!" He looked down almost immediately. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

On impulse, she grabbed his hand.

"No, I'm sorry. It was insensitive of me to say that."

Their eyes locked.

"It's okay."

After a painfully long, but not long enough, moment, Sam shook his hand free and turned his head.

"Let's go."

Suddenly feeling cold and alone, Evangeline ran her hands over her arms. "Yeah."

After a few more minutes of walking, Sam suddenly stopped in front of a dark alley.

Evangeline shrunk back._ "This feels wrong, it's so cold." _

"Hey," Sam's voice cut through her thoughts, "you ok?"

Evangeline bit her lip.

"Yeah." But really, everything about the alley was unnerving.

"Well, this is it." He said awkwardly.

"Um," Evangeline swallowed hard, "Okay."

Evangeline felt Sam's hand close around hers as he led her into the darkness. Her heart was pounding in her ears, in part because of the hand holding, and then stopped altogether when she saw a flame appear out of nowhere.

"They're here."

"They?" Evangeline's heart began beating hard and fast. A huge mask appeared in front of her and, one-by-one, others appeared. Afterwards, an abundance of shadows also appeared.

"_Oh, no. No,no,no,no. What have I done?"_ Evangeline thought.

"Good work." The biggest mask spoke.

"What is it talking about?" She asked.

Sam deliberately ignored her.

"I brought her; now give me back my mama."

Evangeline's fear dissipated for a moment and anger took its place. She jumped in between Sam and the mask.

"Excuse me! Remember me? The bargaining chip? I have the right to know what I'm being bargained for!" With each passing second, she became angrier. Green came into the edges of her vision. She closed her eyes and put two fingers to her temple.

The mask made a frightening sound, which Evangeline interpreted as laughter. The other masks and shadows followed suit. "You see, girl. That is why. As soon as your blood is shed, we will finally be free."

"What?!" Evangeline and Sam said simultaneously. Sam grabbed her arm and pushed her behind him.

"I don't think so. You never said-"

"Exactly," the mask cut him off. "I never said what we were going to do with her. I only told you that she had something we wanted. You assumed it was harmless."

Sam's jaw dropped. "What about-"

"Your mother? Mae, was it? I don't think that will be possible. Even with bringing the girl. It's not natural to resurrect someone you murdered."

"You killed her? And Nellie too?"

Evangeline put her hands on his shoulders from behind in a comforting gesture.

"Your father as well."

Sam shrugged her hands off his shoulders.

"So tell me," he said in a quiet voice, "why do you need her?"

Evangeline inwardly sighed. She was really tired of getting talked about like she wasn't there, but she was looking forward to the answer too.

"Before I answer, I just have one question: Why do you care so much? It's not like you've known her for very long."

Evangeline turned her eyes to Sam. He looked uncomfortable. "I don't want to be a tool in somebody's death." He glanced over his shoulder quickly. "Among other things."

Evangeline's breath hitched.

"You care for her. How juvenile."

Sam looked like he wanted to protest, but the mask began speaking once again.

"She has voodoo in her blood, and she can never get away from it. No matter how hard she tries. We need this power, so we can walk this world once more."

Behind Sam, Evangeline spoke up.

"And do what?"

The mask took on a more devilish appearance, if that was even possible.

"Live."

Evangeline could only imagine what that meant.

"Get out of here," Sam said. "Go now!"

Evangeline turned to the entrance, only to be blocked by the shadows.

"You're not going anywhere."

Evangeline felt something push her and she almost fell on her face, but her hands broke her fall. With the impact, the necklace came off. As Evangeline reached for it, a shadow tossed it away.

With eyes wide, Sam turned to the mask.

"You're not supposed to be able to hurt us."

"About that, you've been misled. These necklaces only work for whom they're made."

With that, another shadow knocked him out.

Evangeline jumped to her feet and made one last attempt to escape.

She didn't get far when she felt a sharp pain on the left side of her back. She looked down and saw a slim, long blade covered with blood- her blood- sticking out the front of her chest.

She raised a shaky hand to touch it.

White began to cloud her vision and faces rapidly came to mind.

"_Mama, Daddy, James, Sarah, Auntie Charlotte, Granny Eudora, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Ralphie, Mama Odie, Willy, Louis, and even you, Ray, I love you all. Please don't mourn me. I'll be watching, just as the stars Evangeline and Ray are. Thank you and good-bye."_

_**A/N:**__** Done. And yes…ANGIE IS DEAD! Honestly, a few tears came when was writing that last little part. I know I said there would be romance in it, but I didn't know that it was so hard to write! . But there are only 2 chapters left in the story! Since we are on Winter Break and we don't have to go back to school until **__**January 8**__**th**__**, I will try (no guarantees) to put the next chapter up before then. If not, then the next chapter will be up **__**January 19**__**th**__**. Please review!**_


	9. Author's Note

_**Hello guys. **_

_**I know I said January 19**__**th**__**, but I was disappointed at the fact that I didn't get a single review for the last three chapters. Though, because of the sloppiness of them, I probably didn't deserve any. **_

_**Anyway, the reason for this author's note is to let you guys know that **__**Where Loyalty Truly Lies**__** is now officially on an **__**indefinite hiatus**__**. **_

_**I felt like the story was running into the ground, and I need time to get it back where it used to be. I'm going to change a lot of the plot and make it a little longer. **_

_**However, this will take time. I won't have any free time until June, but I'm planning two other stories, and honestly, those stories are at the forefront of my mind right now. I swear to you guys that this story will not fall through the cracks; I started it and I'm going to finish it. **_

–_**starlet0495 **_


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